Social justice activist Van Jones talks for the first time about the programs and people he’s investing in with $100 million ‘miracle money’ from Jeff Bezos
“I was always the person asking for a $5,000 grant, a $50,000 grant,” said Jones. “I never, never thought I’d get a $1 million grant, let alone $100 million. And it gave me the opportunity for the first time to really sit back, think, what could I do that would make a bigger difference?”
For Jones, who has 10 years to invest the money, “I knew immediately I wanted to disrupt these systems that have been holding underestimated communities back. I knew I wanted to do something to disrupt the for-profit prison system, to disrupt the systems that put a lot of pollution in our communities and lead to poverty.”, a paid training program that works with men ages 18 to 24 to aid them in accomplishing their personal and professional goals.
“We found an unbelievable program [Beat The Block] that was incentivizing peace on the streets by going to folks who were hanging on street corners, getting in trouble and saying, ‘We will pay you for a 100 days to get off the street corner [and] come up with a plan for your life,'” he explained. “My theory now is that the financial incentives to do bad are very high in a lot of the communities I care about and the financial incentives to do good are very weak.
Jones said out of the 58 young people who participated in Beat The Block, 88 percent got jobs, 57 percent started their own business and 100 percent registered to vote.The political commentator, who’s a leading social justice activist, also turned his financial focus to helping 10 people — many of them formerly incarcerated — who’ve created businesses with the purpose of helping prisoners get back on their feet when they’re released.
“What if we could create an ecosystem that meant people could make money helping people stay out of prison and helping people get on their feet when they came home?” Jones asked. “What if instead of having an incarceration industry, you had a decarceration industry?”
Singapore Latest News, Singapore Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
WynnBET Promo Code August 2023 – Bet $100, Get $100Claim the Covers-verified WynnBET promo code offer for August 2023. Includes bonuses and promos, how to claim promo codes, terms and conditions, and more.
Read more »
Nolte: Report Says Disney's 'Indiana Jones 5' Faces $100 Million LossDisney's disastrous Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny is set to lose $100 million, according to the far-left Variety.
Read more »
Sony’s open-style LinkBuds earbuds have returned to their all-time lowYou can also save $100 on Samsung’s newest foldables.
Read more »
Ends tonight: Save $100 on the Dyson V11 cordless vacuumThe Dyson V11 Extra cordless vacuum, which comes with nine accessories and three power modes, is on sale from Best Buy with a $100 discount for a limited time.
Read more »
BitGo Secures $100 Million in Series C Round, Smashes Through $1.75 Billion ValuationPalo Alto-based cryptocurrency custody now one step closer to double-unicorn status
Read more »
TikTok's Favorite Bissell Carpet Cleaner Is On Sale for Under $100 NowSave 20% on the best-selling Bissell Little Green Portable Cleaner with Walmart's early Labor Day deal.
Read more »